Pinoys’ optimism ‘very high’ – SWS

More Filipinos expect their lives to improve this year, according to a new Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The SWS poll, taken from November 27 to December 1, 2014, also showed more Filipinos who foresee a better economy this year.

Forty-one percent of 1,800 respondents said they expect their lives to improve in the next 12 months, compared to 6 percent who said otherwise, for a net personal optimism score of +35 (very high), an improvement from the third quarter’s +30 (39 percent optimists, 9 percent pessimists).

Net personal optimism improved to +38 in December from +35 in September in Metro Manila. The SWS noted this was above +30 since March 2010, except in March 2014 when it dipped to a “high” +29.

Scores in Balance Luzon went down a point to +33 from +34, though it remained “very high,” SWS said. It has been above +30 since September 2011.

Net optimism in the Visayas was upgraded to a “high” +27, due to a 10-point improvement from a “fair” +17 in September. This had been above +20 in seven out of nine surveys since December 2012.

In Mindanao, net optimism stayed “very high,” with a 13-point improvement to a record-high +44 from +31 in September. This surpasses the previous record high of +35 in September 2013.

Net personal optimism likewise rose across segments, at a “very high” +40 in class ABC compared to +34 in September.

It was also “very high” in the “masa” Class D, better five points in December at +36 compared to +31 in September. This had been “very high” in 12 of 19 surveys since June 2010.

Net personal optimism in Class E improved to “very high” +31 from a “high” +26 in September. This score had been “high” in nine of 12 surveys since March 2012, and “very high” in three.

Stronger economy

Meanwhile, 31 percent of respondents were optimistic that the economy would improve against 15 percent who were pessimistic, for a net economic optimism +16 (very high), a five-point gain from +11 in three months earlier and double the December 2013 survey’s +8.

The five-point rise in net optimism about the economy included a 17-point improvement in Mindanao, a seven-point rise in Metro Manila and a two-point increase in Balance Luzon, but with a four-point dip in the Visayas.

Net optimism about the economy stayed “very high” in Mindanao, up 17 points to +29 in December from +12 in September. Of 19 surveys since June 2010, it was “very high” in 12 and “high” in seven others.

Optimism about the economy also stayed “very high” in Balance Luzon at +13 from September’s +11. This was similar to December 2013 but below +22 to +27 in August 2012-September 2013.

In Metro Manila, optimism went up to a “very high” +12, seven points better than the “high” +5 in September. SWS noted this is the highest since +22 in June 2013.

Visayas’ optimism fell to a “high” +9, from “very high” +13 in September. Of 10 surveys since August 2012, SWS said it was “very high” in seven and “high” in three.

Net optimism about the economy stayed “very high” in Class ABC at +29, the highest since +47 in November 2010. This was 15 points higher than +14 in September.

SWS said it has been “very high” since August 2012, except in June 2014 when it was a “high” +3.

Net optimism about the economy in Class D improved a grade to “very high” +13, from a “high” +9 in September. It has been “very high” in 13 out of 19 surveys since June 2010.

Among Class E, it was a “very high” +21 from +14 in September – the highest since +22 in June 2013.

Last quarter, the Philippine’s gross domestic product grew by 6.9 percent, though full-year GDP growth was at 6.1 percent.

In the SWS survey, net optimism about the economy refers to expectations about the general Philippine economy, while net personal optimism refers to expectations in one’s personal quality of life.

Net gainers
Overall net gainers saw improvements of 14 points in Mindanao and 10 points in Balance Luzon, along with a one-point decrease in both Metro Manila and Visayas.

Net gainers stayed “very high” in Class ABC, rose by two grades in Class D to “high” from “mediocre” in September. But they slipped to “mediocre” from “fair” in Class E.

The SWS survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,800 adults nationwide and has sampling error margins of plus or minus two percentage points for national and plus or minus six percentage points for area percentages.

3 Comments

Pnoy cannot do it all by himself. the Filipinos need to help by changing themselves internally like stop voting ex plunderers like Erap back to office, even Imelda was voted and won, why the comelec even allowed them to run is just stupid, we need more discipline and be more honest, many of us are just as corrupt as the politicians just by vote buying is a good example. stop voting for celebrities like Pacquiao who never went to college and never passed a bill. our government and system is a joke. that’s why we are the most stupid country in the world Time magazine wrote. we have too many incompetents in the government service. the Mamasporo massacre is just one example of incompetence.